The Ride In
by TitansRule
Summary: With Sid collapsing and Stella making a shock confession as well as the actual crime, Jess thought she had the stranger case. Boy, was she wrong. Story #18 in my 'Kindred Spirits' series.


**Disclaimer: I don't own CSI: NY.  
****Series: 'Kindred Spirits'.  
****Spoilers: **_**The Ride-In. **_**Mentions of **_**Heart of Glass.**_

* * *

The Ride-In

"Smoking kills." Jess pulled a face. "Could you not come up with a better pun? I know one of us had to make one, but really!"

"Could be worse." Stella told her. "Hawkes' first big case when he moved over; a climber's brain was splattered across the street. I told him it'd be a 'no-brainer'."

Jess groaned. "Stella! That was just …"

Stella chuckled. "I couldn't resist." She stopped outside autopsy. "You alright coming in?"

Jess hesitated. "Is he done with the post?"

"You want me to check?" Stella asked.

Jess nodded. "Thanks, Stel." She leaned against the wall as Stella disappeared into the morgue. She was fairly sure Sid had finished with the body, but she wanted to make sure before she …

"ANGELL!"

Hearing the panic in Stella's voice, Jess pushed the door open and ran in, her hand flying to her sidearm.

Stella was kneeling over Sid performing CPR. "He's in anaphylactic shock; there's an epi-pen in that medical bag!"

Jess rooted through it and found what she was looking for, reaching Stella and Sid faster than she thought she had the ability to move.

Stella took it from her and stabbed it into Sid's thigh; he began coughing and the two women helped him sit up. "Call 911."

Jess nodded and pulled her radio. "This is Detective Angell; we need a bus to the morgue." She pulled her jacket off and they tucked it under his head. "You okay, Stel?"

Stella nodded shakily. "Yeah. I'm fine."

Jess wasn't convinced, but waited until the ambulance arrived and Sid had been loaded into it, before guiding Stella out of the morgue and into the locker room. "How about the truth this time?"

Stella shook her head. "I can't."

"Stella." Jess grasped her shoulders. "It's me. What is going on?"

"I cut myself …" Stella explained hesitantly. "At the Emery Gable crime scene."

Jess frowned, thinking back to Don's explanation. "That was the guy whose sister mistook her reflection for other people, right? Broke the mirror, the paintings … Flack said the fish tank had broken as well … that's a lot of glass; I'm not surprised."

"A lot of glass covered in blood." Stella corrected. "The victim was HIV-positive."

"Oh …" Jess trailed off and hugged her. "Stella, you can't contract it from CPR …"

"You can." Stella corrected. "The chances are miniscule, but what if he does? He's got a wife and two daughters and …"

"Stella!" Jess cut her off. "Are you sure _you_ have it?"

Stella shook her head. "No. The initial blood-work was negative, but there's a ten-week window period."

"So you might be panicking over nothing." Jess pointed out calmly. "Look, Sid's alive, because of you. That's a good thing. And even if you do turn out to be positive … you really think anyone here is going to walk away?" She grinned. "Mac would shoot us all."

Stella couldn't help chuckling. "True."

"It'll be okay, Stell." Jess assured her, her smile softening. "What's that thing you're always telling Lindsay?"

"You're not alone." Stella repeated.

"Looks like you're the one who needs reminding this time." Jess squeezed her shoulder. "It'll be alright. You'll see."

Stella smiled weakly. "Thanks, Angell."

* * *

"It's raining." Don announced when she opened the door to find him standing outside her apartment.

Jess raised an eyebrow. "Uh huh." She let him in. "So what happened with your case?"

"You first." Don offered.

"Alright." Jess felt a smile cross her face, guessing that his case was so weird that Don wanted to wait before telling her. "Well, a guy in a cigarette suit protesting smoking burned to death and it turned out to be some guy trying to get all mascots into a union. But it gets better." She added, stopping his comment. "He worked for the tobacco company; he was protesting outside in an attempt to advertise the new 'green cigarettes'. We didn't find out for ages."

"What, you didn't talk to the CEO?" Don asked.

Jess rolled her eyes. "Flack, gimme some credit. He told us he didn't know the guy; wanted to work out how to spin the PR first. We only found out when the guy's widow turned up, fighting against security to see her husband."

Don shook his head. "Some guys'll do anything, huh?"

"Yeah." Jess sat down on her couch and leaned against the back. "What about yours?"

Don grinned. "Check this out." He pulled his phone out and found the photo album, wrapping an arm around her shoulders so she could see. "Exhibit A: Dead guy under a pile of money. Named Noah."

"Noah?" Jess repeated, trying not to notice the warmth of his embrace.

"Surrounded by biblical quotes on the wall." Don showed her the next picture. "And, in the back yard …"

Jess peered at the screen. "Is that an ark? You gotta be kidding me!"

"Nope." Don smirked, and she got the feeling that he'd been waiting all day to tell her about this one. "Complete with goats, chickens, sheep, tigers, leopards … oh, and a room full of nut-jobs convinced the world's gonna end today."

"Oh my God …" Jess shook her head slowly. "Who killed him?"

"Well, Noah Hubler turned out to be Patrick Dent, a conman." Don explained. "Managed to escape custody six months ago, had surgery to change his appearance and the surgeon left a pair of surgical scissors in his body, which caused an infection, making him delusional."

"Okay." Jess frowned. "Explains the ark, but what about …?"

"I'm getting to that." Don told her. "His partner wanted the money he owed her, but he'd spent it all on the ark. He paid her back with the money given to him by one of the couples, but it turned out to be counterfeit. She thought he was trying to stiff her and shot him."

"Where'd they get the money?" Jess asked.

"Found it in a car they bought at a government auction." Don answered.

Jess laughed in disbelief. "And they didn't think that was weird?"

"They thought it was a gift from God." Don chuckled. "You believe any of that stuff?"

Jess shrugged. "I was raised Catholic. I believe in life after death. I just don't believe it's what the extremists think."

"No clouds and harps then?" Don guessed.

"Or rivers of honey and 72 virgins." Jess shot back. "No, I believe it's just like life. But you're dead. And when I'm gone, I wanna be the one standing at the entrance, welcoming in all those extremists with a smile and a t-shirt that says "I was wrong". What about you?"

"I wanna be standing next to you." Don grinned. "Nah, I'm a bit of a hypocrite. Don't go to church, don't go to confession … but I'm the first one to start praying when someone gets hurt."

"Same." Jess agreed, subconsciously leaning against him. "I suppose it doesn't matter what we believe as long as we're not gonna kill anyone over it."

"Mmm, good point." Don agreed. There was a short moment of silence and then he asked, "Did you change your shampoo?"

"Yeah, why?" Jess tilted her head back to see his face. "Did you just smell my hair?"

Don looked a little sheepish. "Danny better not hear about this. Sometimes I don't think before I speak."

Jess sniggered. "Yeah, I noticed."

"Smells nice though." Don added. "Your hair, I mean. Since we're already in an awkward place."

"We're partners, Don." Jess reminded him. "I don't think there can be any awkward moments."

"Don't try me." Don warned with a grin. "You wanna watch a movie? We could order pizza."

"Sounds good." Jess leaned forward and grabbed the remote, while he dialled the pizza place. "No date tonight then?"

"C'mon, Jess. Why would I pick one of those girls over you?" Don asked with a heart-stopping smile.

"Mmm, why would you pick a hug over getting laid?" Jess shot back with a smirk.

"Now, Jess, sex isn't everything." Don chided. "Yeah, hi, I need a large, double pepperoni, extra cheese." He covered the mouthpiece. "8 or 16?"

"Go with 16." Jess answered absently, flipping through the channels.

"Thanks." Don hung up. "Anything?"

"_Titanic_'s on." Jess stated. "Nothing else."

"I'm alright with that." Don admitted. "Assuming I'm right and you're not one of those women who cries uncontrollably at the end."

Jess snorted. "No way. I mean, it's sad, but nothing to cry over." She didn't argue when he pulled her back into his side and rested her head on his shoulder. "Why does it matter that it's raining?"

"That's how the world's supposed to end today, a flood." Don explained. "It's the driest summer on record and today wasn't supposed to be any different. Makes you think, huh?"

Jess shrugged. "Not really. When have the weather reports _ever_ been right?"

**

* * *

AN: I'd just like to say now that I am not an atheist, not am I particularly religious. I'm of the 'live and let live' persuasion, so if I've caused any offence with Don and Jess's chat, I sincerely apologise; it wasn't my intention at all. Also, I'm ashamed to admit that I've never watched **_**Titanic**_**, but I've never been one to cry at films. And Jess is a **_**lot**_** tougher than me, so there's no way she will.**

**All that said, please review!**


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